title: Reflections of a nurses' personal experience as a loved one and a patient: the human side of healthcare.
abstract: One thing is for certain: healthcare is ever evolving during these challenging times. In this current arena of electronic medical records and regulatory bodies, nursing finds itself placing increasing emphasis on numbers and percentile rankings as a gauge of its performance. Although this information is vitally important as the focus centers on patient safety and quality outcomes, perhaps in the quest for excellent report cards, there needs to be a reminder of what is at the foundation of the nursing profession: communication and caring. The experience of a nurse as a family member, patient, and healthcare provider gives us the 360-degree view of this challenge.
authors.affiliation: Judith Schofield, MSN, RN, NE-BC, is currently the director of Nursing Quality/Safety/Innovation/Excellence at The Christ Hospital Health Network in Cincinnati, Ohio. Previously, she was the manager of the cardiovascular step-down unit for thirteen years, and is the author of the book "The Conflict of Caring."
authors.forename: Judith
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Schofield
mesh_terms: D003142:Communication; D064648:Critical Care Nursing; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D024802:Nurse's Role; D009723:Nurse-Patient Relations; D011368:Professional-Family Relations